Agape Treatment

The practice of agape, or selfless love, offers as many rewards to the one practicing it as it does to the one receiving it. Being selfless is very good for a person on many levels. It actually works to restore a person’s mental health and make them whole. This is why it is a recommended practice to people who struggle with addictions and disorders. These conditions are the opposite of mental health and any practice or way of thinking that fights mental illness is a good thing for mentally ill people to bring into their lives. These conditions also require professional treatment, but practicing agape can do worlds of good for someone with an addiction or disorder.

Addictions and mental disorders are inherently self serving. Their existence is not the fault of the person who has them, but living as a victim to them will inevitably make a person into a self serving individual. By making the choice to practice altruism, or agape, a person who has been contained to their own self serving ways will have the opportunity to break away from them and gain perspective, compassion and a sense of purpose by helping others.

When addictions and mental disorders are permitted to thrive, they isolate the person living with them. They do this by influencing the person to only think about themselves, serve their addiction and remain inside their own head, as well as make them into someone that other people do not want to be around. This is universally damaging to people. Making the choice to be selfless reverses these patterns by bringing them into the company of others and focusing on what they can do for other people rather than what they can do for themselves.

When addictions and mental disorders become severe, they leave in their wake a trail of loneliness and destruction. Their survival can only hurt a person and never help them. When a person does unselfish things for other people, however, they are creating the opposite of destruction. They are giving life and joy to another person. If you or someone you care about is struggling with an addiction or disorder, seek professional treatment and do not underestimate the value of selfless love to their recovery.